HOW THE SNAKE GOT ITS RATTLE

EVERY DAY THE OL' SNAKE FOUND HIS SELF GETTIN' STEPPED ON, RAN OVER,
KICKED AROUND OR SOMETHING WHEN HE TRIED TO CROSS THE PATH DOWN BY
MASON CREEK. HE WAS GETTIN' MIGHTY TRIED OF IT: SO HE TOLD THE LORD
SAY, "LORD, I'M GETTIN' MIGHTY TRIED OF FOLKS STEPPING ON,
RUNNING OVER AND KICKING ME AROUND - JUS' AIN'T FAIR. I LIVE DOWN
HERE TOO; I GOT JUS' MUCH RIGHTS AS EVERYBODY ELSE DOWN HERE;
PEOPLE DON'T PAY NO ATTENTION TO ME, LORD: THE SNAKE COMPLAINTED.
"COULD BE THAT THEY JUST DON'T KNOW WHEN YOU'RE ABOUT. CAN'T
BLAME 'EM, CAUSE YOU IS WAY-LOW-DOWN, YA SEE", THE LORD ASKED THE
SNAKE. THE SNAKE SAID, "YOU KNOW, YOU MIGHT BE RIGHT." "I KNOW,
HERE, TAKE THIS HERE SHAKER, EVERYTIME YOU SEE SOMEBODY COMING YO'
WAY YOU JUS' SHAKE IT. YA' HEAR ME NOW?", THE LORD ASKED THE SNAKE.

Submitter comment:
I HAVE HEARD A SIMILAR STORY IN ALABAMA ABOUT THIS SNAKE'S RATTLE; I
NOTICED A LOCAL NAME - "MASON CREEK".

ROCK GAME

ONE POTATOE, TWO POTATOES, THREE POTATOES FOUR,
FIVE POTATOES, SIX POTATOES, SEVEN POTATOES MORE.

Submitter comment:
THE LEADER WHO IS SINGING THE SONG ASKS THE PLAYER TO GUESS WHICH
HAND THE ROCK IS IN. IF THE PLAYER GUESSES WHICH HAND THE ROCK IS IN
HE GETS A CHANCE TO PASS TO A GRADE. THIS CONTINUES
ALL THE WAY UP TO THE TWELFTH GRADE. THIS GAME IS PLAYED ON THE
STEPS, AND YOU MOVE UP THE STEPS TO A HIGHER GRADE, IF YOU GUESS
THE RIGHT HAND THE ROCK IS IN.

LITTLE SALLY WALKER

LITTLE SALLY WALKER, SITTING IN A SAUCER,
RISE, SALLY RISE,
YOU GONNA WIPE YOUR WEEPING EYES,
PUT YOUR HANDS ON YOUR HIPS AND LET YOUR BACKBONE SLIP,
ALL SHAKE IT TO THE EAST,
ALL SHAKE IT TO THE WEST,
ALL SHAKE IT TO THE ONE THAT YOU LOVE THE BEST.

Submitter comment:
WE USED TO SING AND PLAY THIS GAME AT RECESS, DOWN SOUTH AFTER LUNCH
THE OBJECT OF THE GAME IS PICK YOUR BEST FRIEND OR BOYFRIEND IF HE
IS PLAYING. YOU WOULD HAVE A GROUP OF CHILDREN IN A CIRCLE, AND A
PERSON IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CIRCLE WHO WOULD SHAKE THEIR HIPS TO
THE EAST AND WEST AND THEN PICK THE PERSON THEY LOVED THE BEST.
HE OR SHE WOULD GET IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CIRCLE, AND THIS WOULD
REPEAT ITSELF.

RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT

NO WALKING, NO TALKING, NO RED LIGHT NO NOTHING.

Submitter comment:
DURING THIS TIME THE LEADER,S BACK IS TURNED IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTIO
FROM THE GROUP OF CHILDREN. THE CHILDREN CAN MOVE AS MUCH AS THEY
WANT UNTIL THE LEADER SPEAKS AGAIN. WHEN THE LEADER SAYS, "NO
WALKING, NO TALKING NO GREEN LIGHT, NO NOTHING;"
THE GROUP OF CHILDREN MUST STOP MOVING,
IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE LEADER TURNS AROUND AND SEES THEM. IF YOU
ARE CAUGHT MOVING YOU ARE OUT OF THE GAME. THE PERSON THAT STAYS IN
THE GAME THE LONGEST WINS, IF THE LEADER CAN NOT CATCH HIM MOVING,
BUT IF HE CATCHES HIM MOVING, HE WILL TAKE THE LEADER,S PLACE.

FIVE LITTLE PUMPKINS SITTING ON THE FENCE

THE FIRST ONE SAID, OH MY, IT,S GETTING LATE,
THE SECOND ONE SAID, THERE ARE WITCHES IN THE AIR.
THE THIRD ONE SAID, OH, WE DON'T CARE,
THE FOURTH ONE SAID, LET'S RUN AND RUN.
THE FIFTH ONE SAID, I'M READY FOR SOME FUN.
HOOH, WENT THE WIND AND OUT WENT THE LIGHTS,
AND THE FIVE LITTLE PUPMKINS ROLLED OUT OF SIGHT.
ROLLED OUT OF SIGHT. REPEAT.

SOUP DE SOUP

WAY DOWN YONDER;
SOUP DE SOUP.
WHERE THE WHITE FOLKS LIVE;
SOUP DE SOUP.
TRY'IN TO MAKE A MESS
SOUP DE SOUP
THE BISCUITS ARE HOT;
SOUP DE SOUP.
AND THE CORNBREAD IS COLD;
SOUP DE SOUP.
THANK GOOD ALMIGHTY
SOUP DE SOUP.
JUST GIVE ME A LITTLE MORE.
SOUP DE SOUP.

OLD MARY MACK ; OLD MARY MACK, MACK, MACK,

ALL DRESSED IN BLACK, BLACK, BLACK,
WITH HER SILVERY BUTTONS, BUTTONS, BUTTONS,
UP AND DOWN HER BACK, BACK, BACK,
I ASKED MY MOTHER, MOTHER, MOTHER,
FOR FIFTEEN CENTS, CENTS, CENTS,
TO SEE THE ELEPHANT, ELEPHANT, ELEPHANT.
WHO JUMPED THE FENCE, FENCE, FENCE,
AND HE JUMPED SO HIGH, HIGH, HIGH,
TIL HE TOUCHED THE SKY, SKY, SKY,
AND HE NEVER CAME BACK, BACK, BACK
TIL THE FOURTH OF JULY, LY, LY,
TIL THE FOURTH OF JULY.

SIMON SAYS (GAME)

WHENEVER SIMON TELLS YOU TO DO SOMETHING YOU MUST SAY MAY I. IF
YOU FORGET TO SAY, MAY I, YOU HAVE TO GO BACK TO YOUR PLACE WHERE
YOU BEGAN AT. THE OBJECT OF THE GAME IS TO GET CLOSE ENOUGH TO
SIMON SO THAT YOU CAN TAKE HIS PLACE, THEN YOU BECOME SIMON.

Submitter comment:
WE USED TO PLAY THIS GAME LATE AT NIGHT IN THE SUMMERTIME AFTER MY
MOTHER SAID STAY IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE.

WHY THE NERGO IS BLACK?

NOAH HAD TWO SONS, A YOUNGER SON AND A OLDER SON. ONE NIGHT
NOAH CAME HOME DRUNK. THE OLDEST SON HAD A GIRLFRIEND OVER, AND HE
WAS EMBARARASS TO SEE HIS FATHER DRUNK. HE INTRODUCED HIS FATHER AS
HIS UNCLE. NOAH WAS NOT AS DRUNK AS HIS SON THOUGHT HE WAS, BECAUSE
HE TOLD HIS SON YOU MUST HAVE FORGOTTEN WHO I AM. I AM NOT YOUR
UNCLE. I AM YOUR FATHER. HE WAS SO ASHAMED OF HIS FATHER UNTIL HE
TOLD HIM TO TAKE HIS DRUNK SELF TO BED. MEANWHILE, GOD WAS LISTENING
AND WATCHING WHAT WAS HAPPENING. NOAH TOLD HIS OLDEST SON THAT GOD
PUNISHES THOSE WHO DO NOT RESPECT THEIR ELDERS. NOAH WENT TO BED.
THE NEXT DAY NOAH'S OLDEST SON WAS ARGUING WITH HIS YOUNGEST BROTHER
ABOUT THE INCIDENT, WHICH HAD HAPPEN THE NIGHT BEFORE, AND THE YOUNG-
EST SON WAS TAKING THE SIDE OF HIS FATHER. THE ARGUEMENT GOT SO
FEROCIOUS UNTIL GOD STEP IN AND TOLD THE OLDEST SON HE WAS WRONG
AND WOULD BE PUNISHED FOR SASHING HIS FATHER. THEREFORE, HE WAS
CURSED AND MADE BLACK. THE BLACKNESS STOOD FOR THE EVIL HE HAD DONE.
GOD TOLD THE YOUNGEST SON, HE WOULD BE BLESSED FOR NOT BEING ASHAMED
OF HIS FATHER, AND HE WAS MADE WHITE, TO STAND FOR THE GOODNESS HE
HAD DONE.

Submitter comment:
I CAN NOT REMEMBER WHO TOLD ME THIS STORY, BUT I KNOW I HEARD IT
DOWN SOUTH.

This site is endorsed by the University of Detroit Mercy (UDM) and supports the views, values, and mission of UDM. The University of Detroit Mercy web site provides links to other web sites, both public and private, for informational purposes. The inclusion of these links on UDM's site does not imply endorsement by the University. Please contact the Instructional Design Studio for any questions regarding this web site.